By Debbie Ross
People make assumptions. Judge. We all do. “Middle class. White.” The class/caste system in the UK is still in action. Embourgeoisement was a sociologist’s pipe dream. I’m working class, from immigrant stock; disabled and chronically ill, if you’re doing labels. You can’t tell from someone’s acquisitions, clothes, or accent who they are or where they come from. I have Scottish friends who speak with an English accent and friends who were born south of the border who sound like born-and-bred Scots. We are a mixture of our heritage, culture, and our choices. A friend of mine wrote a book after the Brexit debacle titled Scottish by Inclination. I like that. That’s me. Choosing my adopted country as my own. The place I feel accepted and at home, regardless of where I was born.
It’s 10 years this year since the vote on Scottish independence (‘Indy Ref’). It divided people: friends, neighbours, even families, and still leaves a bad taste for some. A lot of independence supporters assumed that English people voted to retain the Union. I voted for an independent Scotland and still would today. Many of my non-Scottish friends voted for independence, and some of my Scottish friends voted to stay under the reign of the Westminster parliament. Even now, 10 years on, the vehemence of opinion, especially on social media, can be hurtful and divisive. We seem to have lost the art of discussion and debate, unable to hold the tensions of differing opinions within our relationships. Social media has certainly helped to polarise people’s views.
The Brexit referendum in 2016 — the vote on whether to leave or remain within the European Union (EU) — did a similar thing and still continues to be divisive, particularly around the issue of immigration. People in powerful positions within politics and the media have rigged the narrative — particularly devoid of facts — which led to a recent spate of civil unrest and violence, primarily directed at migrant communities across the UK.
The majority of us in the UK are of ‘mixed race’ and/or immigrants. People’s country of birth has only been recorded on census information since 1851, yet before that, Britain was invaded and colonised by the Romans, the Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans. In the modern period, this was followed by European, Jewish, Asian, American, and African immigration. We are shaken, stirred, and blended together. Not in a nondescript, homogenised blitz, but something in the manner of the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where our cracks are joined with gold to make something imperfect yet precious. There is no such thing as ‘pure blood’ — look how that worked out in the Harry Potter stories! We are stronger and better as a composite humanity — strengths and weaknesses melded together into something resilient. ‘Better together’ was the slogan for the remain campaign in the Indy Ref, and whilst I voted for Scotland to be an independent country, I think the maxim holds true. We are better with our Asian, West Indian, African, Polish, American, and Irish friends. They add colour to our country in more ways than skin tone. They don’t dilute our culture but add their own into the mix: food, traditions, celebrations, ideas, writing, and creativity of all sorts. As a race, humanity is always evolving culturally, taking ideas, writing, art, cuisines, and creativity of all sorts to weave into the next iteration.
I’ve always felt welcome in the Highlands and endeavour to contribute to the life of the community here, as I would want to wherever I lived. It’s important to feel that you belong somewhere. Sometimes the UK has felt like a very hostile and alien place, and at times I’ve thought of emigrating. If I were younger, perhaps I would have. I feel grateful to feel accepted and at home somewhere I have chosen to live. Not everyone is in the UK by choice. Some people have been forced to flee the places they call home as a result of war, persecution, and violence. They too deserve to find acceptance and a home when they have already suffered so much. It’s easy to get bogged down in the politics and be led down divisive paths by those with ulterior motives, who want to stir up dissent and division — a conquer-and-divide strategy for personal gain, with no winners but the power players themselves.
I don’t believe it is essential for our identity and culture for the countries in the UK to remain as a union, but I do think it is essential for us to work together for the common good. To embrace difference, to cultivate tolerance, acceptance, sharing, and unity, whatever our background, country of birth, or opinions across a range of topics. Surely we can agree to disagree when we’re working towards common goals — a fairer society for all — whatever our colour, creed, religion, or country of origin. There is room to acknowledge the humanity and validity of people’s culture and identity without diminishing our own.
Debbie Ross
Debbie lives in the Scottish Highlands, where she writes poetry, short stories, and cookbooks. She has had writing published in various places and self-published her poetry pamphlet Immersion in 2019.
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